#They really did well with Necrozma

[agentc0rn]

Necrozma and Terapagos need more love hurghhh

[leggerefiore]

Giving dead inside trio (nanu, cyrus, larry) a bouquet of flowers? They deserve some softness in their lives 🥺

dead inside trio.... a new grouping unlocked lol

cw: fluff,

characters: Nanu, Cyrus, Larry

🐈‍⬛️Nanu❤️‍🩹

🌑 The old man did not seem particularly fond of most things in life. Few things broke that trained expression into anything apart from a passive disinterest. Yet, you felt something in you desperate to see that half grin cross his face again. A certain shop in the Malie Community Centre. Flowers. Alola had many, sure. Entire meadows dedicated to them. The red flowers of the Ula'Ula meadow brought the eyes of the Kahuna to mind. The man selling the flowers eagerly beckoned you over and explained the meanings of each bouquet. A bright white flower caught your attention. The man quickly offered information. Forest gardenias. Apparently, the generic meaning for all white gardenias were innocence, purity, and clarity. Their most common use was in weddings. You giggled. Nanu... He certainly was none of those things, yet the flowers held your attention over the others for sale. You bought them.

🌑 Nanu yawned. Nothing was happening today. Just like yesterday. And the day before that. And so on and so forth. It had been peaceful. This was much preferred to the nightmare that had been the Necrozma situation. That Guzzlord. He sighed. His Meowths napped peacefully. He debated joining them, yet the door clicking open prevented that. You stepped in, clutching something behind your back. A brow cocked up. His mind instantly had some worries about the oddity, but he forced them down. You were no threat. Walking towards him, you held a bouquet of flowers out to him. He blinked. These… He had seen these before. His fingers brushed against the soft petals. Right… These were. Forest gardenias. Or, known colloquially as – “Nanu,” you called out to him, “Do you like them? The florist said he was trying to spread awareness about endangered flowers through bouquets.”

🌑 He hated that his lips tugged up at that. Right, these were also known as nānū. Why his parents had thought to name him after such a thing was beyond him. Nanu seemed to go to defy literally every meaning they had. “… Yep, picking these in the wild gets you a high fine,” he nodded and sat them down in his lap. “Thanks,” he tugged you down to his level. You sat down beside him. His arm came around your shoulders. “… I like it,” Nanu could feel your eyes staring at him and wanting to know, “I'm not much of a flower guy, but I guess I serve an agriculture deity so maybe I need to change.” You laughed. Tapu Bulu would love to see Nanu have a sudden interest in the beauty of nature, certainly. Nanu carefully placed the bouquet in a vase later on. The flowers really did brighter up the dreary police station he called a home. And, well, they were a good reminder of something important to him. He gave another grin at you playing with a Meowth.

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ The blue-haired man was unreadable most of the time. Even having been in a relationship with Cyrus for an extended period of time, you struggled to understand him rather frequently. Gifts were difficult. He would say that he required nothing when questioned. You did not feel that way, though. So, you found yourself in the Veilstone department store searching desperately for anything that the man might enjoy. Nothing caught your attention. You drifted to the roof. What was supposed to be a moment to relax in solemn defeat was destroyed by a rooftop vendor. Bouquets. A bright one caught your attention. The flowers faced the sun with unyielding loyalty. The choice was obvious. You bought the bouquet with little question.

☄️ The Galactic Boss felt as though he was drowning in work. Everything was a mess, and a free moment was simply a blessing that he did not have. An accident had resulted in the deletion of some important research of his goals, and the entire time was scrambling to either recover or replace it. He felt like he was about to go mad. Then, the receptionist foolishly allowed someone in to visit him. He would give them a piece of his mind for visiting at such a critical moment. The door to his office clicked open. Cyrus stilled. You entered, holding a vase in your hands. A bright smile was on your face. “Cy,” you called out excitedly, “I brought you a gift! You seemed so upset lately that I wanted to cheer you up.” The bouquet of flowers was offered to him.

☄️ Sunflowers… He flinched as they seemed to turn towards him. Logically, it was because there was a bright light behind him, but he felt momentarily bewildered. The dark stigmas of the flora appeared to stare into his very being. He swallowed. Good fortune, he recalled a possible meaning of the flower. Yes, that was precisely what he needed. He sat them down on his desk. Taking your hand, Cyrus met your eyes. Whatever rage had previously consumed him was gone. He could never be angry at you. “Thank you, beloved,” he leaned in to peck your cheek chastely, “I apologise if my behaviour has seemed off. Work has simply been stressful.” The man wished to dismiss all your worries and have you uninvolved again. Later, after you had left, he glanced at the flowers again. Adoration… He recalled another meaning of sunflowers. His stressed mind relaxed. This was for you, too, he reminded himself. His hands tapped away at the computer. This would all be finished soon.

💼Larry🏢

🍙 The salaryman had little joy in his life except for food. Few things could bring him joy as much as food could, but you wished to challenge that. Larry was an overworked and under-appreciated member of his workplace. You, as his lover, wished to show him that it was the opposite case at home. So, you sought a gift. Something food related had seemed obvious at first, but you had backed away from that line of thought. No, you wished to give him something else. A street vendor in Medali caught your eye as you wandered around in search. A bouquet vendor. The woman smiled brightly as you moved closer to gaze at her options. They were pre-made only, naturally, but the styles varied and showed off the talent of the woman. A white bouquet was what captured your attention. Small breaks of a bright blue flower felt strangely attractive. You bought it without hesitation. Roses and forget-me-nots.

🍙 Larry lounged around lazily. Take-out from the Treasure Eatery sat on the coffee table while the television played some boring midday talk show. He truly did not care too much about whatever was being covered. Background noise was simply required. His Straptor perched near the food, tilting its head curiously at the dish. Before the bird could dare steal some rice for itself, the apartment door opened. You soon wandered in the living room with a delicately wrapped item in your hands. Larry's exhausted mind slowly realised that you had flowers. Then he rose up, a bit panicked. Had someone gifted you those? “I got you a gift,” you shook your head, as if understanding his thoughts, “The colours made me think of your suit and tie combination.” He blinked and took the flowers from your hands. White and blue…

🍙 “I guess so,” Larry nodded. He was not too familiar with flower meanings, but he thought it quite looked like a wedding bouquet, almost. The little blue flowers, his thumb brushed over them, had Brassius been going on about them at some point? The grass-type gym leader was quite knowledgeable about flowers alongside his art. Many sculptures he did contained floral themes. Loyalty…? No… What was it? “Love,” he nodded, “I see. I love you, too.” The words had become easier to say over the course of his relationship. You smiled brightly. He let his lips tug upwards for just a moment. A quick kiss was pressed to your lips as he moved to sit the flowers on an end table. They certainly brightened up the dreary room. Staraptor suddenly let out a chirp and flew over to them. It seemed the bird liked your gift, too.

[teshadraws]

Nia references Trubbish and Garboder in one of the earlier chapters when counterin Tobias' argument about the oddities of the human world…

How could such a species even exist if humans never naturally came to be in this Pokemon world of Seekers?

One of Trubbish' Pokedex entries says, "... was created when garbage and industrial waste mixed, causing a reaction that generated Trubbish."

Unless you may have an entirely different origin in mind for them, lmao.

Same goes for both forms of Muk and Grimer.

… Do Kantonian Voltorb and Electrode exist in Seekers? I can't remember if either have ever appeared...

And I guess the regional forms directly affected by humankind's actions (i.e. Alolan Ratata and Raticate, Alolan Meowth and Persian, Galarian Weezing, Galarian Meowth and Perrserker, Hisuian Zorua and Zoroark) could technically have unique ways of comin to existence due to certain historical or cultural events in the past.

Apparently the Vanillish and Klink lines came first and are what inspired the creation of ice cream and gears…

What about Golett and Golurk and Baltoy and Claydoll? Both lines were created by ancient civilizations… Same POSSIBLY goes for Bronzong and Bronzor.

And I can see Rotom existin... they jus can't inhabit appliances because those jus don't exist in Seekers' pokeworld.

And what of the Magnemite line? Castform? Castform was shockinly actually artificially created in Hoenn to help predict weather! I could see them existin somehow through natural means (clouds that became sentient through mystical means).

What about Deoxys? Deoxys simply came from space when its virus inside a meteorite mutates in the planet's atmosphere… Not from any manmade means.

Does Spiritomb exist and would it be comprised of 108 Pokemon spirits?

The ones I can def rule out from previous asks and convos are Mewtwo, Porygon line, Genesect, Megearna, Type: Null/Silvally, the Galarian fossilmon, Future Paradox Pokemon… And that would also go for Past Parodox Pokemon as well.

I'm also guessin that rules out Meltan and Melmetal as well (can't remember if you mentioned that).

And ya said Ultrabeasts don't exist purely because of no Ultra Wormholes, so no Lunala, Necrozma, Solgaleo, Cosmog, nor Cosmeon. (Though someone made a point in the server about that tombstone possibly havin a depiction of Lunala on it…) I do like the idea that Lunala and Solgaleo have existed once in this world, but someday jus... vanished.

Eternatus is said to be from another world as well… I'm guessin it doesn't exist, or maybe it does to some compacity? Do Zacian and Zamazenta exist in some shape or form?

And since gimmicks like Z-Moves, Dynamax, Gigantamax, and Mega Evolution also don't exist, it'd only make sense the Terrastalization phenomenon also doesn't exist, so no Teragapos either… (Maybe they did at one time but have all vanished or gone extinct).

Could the Treasures of Ruin (Chien-Pao, Wo-Chien, Chi-Yu, and Ting-Lu) also exist in some capacity? It could've been some long forgotten or scarcely known Legendary crafted the items they possess and planted them as precious artifacts across rhe world that intrepid explorers or passersby found and the resultin avarice of whomever owned the treasures caused their curses to bring them to life and take on their corporeal forms as a form of punishment or some sick pleasure from that Legendary? I dunno, I jus really love this quartet! They're so fascinatin and I myself have actually found a way to incorporate them into my PMD EOS AU lore!!

I know this is an enormously long ask, but thanks tons if ya take the time to comb through this and offer some answers! I know a lot of this is reachin and not really pertinant to Seekers' main plot, but it'd be really cool supplementary material! Sorta like what ya guessed for Zekrom and Reshiram.

Oh dang, this is a beefy ask, haha! Here we go.

The Pokemon in Seekers still create waste, even if most of it isn't nearly as manufactured and toxic as the human world's! Plus, the runoff from natural poison types like the gulpin and clodsire lines contributes to the natural poison waste in the environment. I will say that poison types like trubbish and grimer are much less common in Seekers than in the mainline Pokemon worlds, though!

Kantonian voltorb and electrode exist as a natural steel-type offshoot of the Hisuian variant! They just happen to look a lot like the pokeballs of other Pokemon worlds. :]

Hm...I'm going to say the golett/baltoy/bronzor lines just came from ancient Pokemon civilizations' artifacts, rather than human ones!

Magnemite aren't artificially created, so they're present in the Seekers world! I agree that castform could exist through different means, but it's likely a rare occurrence since they would have to come together through a sort of "freak accident" of weather phenomena.

Deoxys isn't currently present in Seekers, but they would have the potential to show up at some point if the space virus made its way to the planet!

Spiritomb does exist, but it's Pokemon spirits instead of human ones as is usually implied in Pokemon's canon.

The meltan/melmetal line exists, though they're rare! They're not manmade and are born from natural steel components.

Whoops. Forgot that I mentioned Lunala on the crobat's tombstone, haha!!! 😅 Let's say that Lunala and Solgaleo are largely considered legends, then, even more so than other Legendary Pokemon. They were thought to exist once, but have long since returned to their own dimensions and are no longer present in the Seekers canon.

Similar to Deoxys, Eternatus isn't currently present in the Seekers world, but could potentially show up if the meteorite it was born from in canon showed up in the world!

Zacian and Zamazenta exist, just without the same lore from Sword and Shield (so no Darkest Day). Instead, they simply guard their territory from threats. I don't think they'll be considered Legendary in Seekers, though. They feel more like regular (albeit powerful) Pokemon to me. I don't have an area in mind for where they dwell, though! 

Terapagos probably exists, but its ambient power isn't enough to cause terrastalization in other Pokemon. No game gimmicks here.

The Treasures of Ruin might exist, but that's another quartet that I wouldn't really consider "Legendaries" in Seekers canon! I'd say they're lying dormant in their shrines throughout the Seekers world, but I don't have any lore currently on who sealed them away. They were sealed away due to being dangerous, though, since they were created from negative emotions! Not that that nixes the possibility for redemption down the line. 👀

Hope that satisfies some of your curiosity!

[pokemon-card-of-the-day]

Pokemon Card of the Day #3076: Tyranitar-GX (Lost Thunder)

Tyranitar-GX was meant to punish things. All its attacks were simply about damage, and anything that it Knocked Out was gone from the game for good. The power here was good but not great considering that this was a Stage 2, though softening up the opponent's Bench was a nice way to set up for other hits. You'd probably have to build around this to make it worthwhile, but at least there were some good traits to work with.

250 HP was no joke. Tyranitar would be taking a hit in almost every case, and if managing to play it in the format just before the Tag Teams came out it wasn't that rare for it to survive 2 due to 120 being a common damage number. The Fighting Weakness was actually worse in that SUM-On format due to things like Buzzwole and Zygarde still being relevant, with the Weakness not mattering too much afterward. The Psychic Resistance was nice against Malamar decks that weren't leaning on Ultra Necrozma-GX or Marshadow-GX, and the later Mewtwo & Mew-GX or even Dragapult VMAX could be annoyed by the lower damage in certain spots. The Retreat Cost here was 3, so having switching cards would be a good idea if you could fit them.

Lost Out was a really nice Ability. If damage from an attack from Tyranitar-GX Knocked Out an opponent's Pokemon, that Pokemon and all cards attached to it were sent to the Lost Zone. That meant having the chance to get rid of an important Pokemon for good, as well as lowering the amount of Energy that deck had access to in a lot of games. Tyranitar-GX didn't tend to KO Pokemon in a single hit, so it was kept in check by that, but later in a game this Ability could really shine.

Dusty Ruckus was actually quite solid. 130 damage was a good amount for 2 Darkness and a Colorless Energy, though it did get outdone a bit once Tag Teams were released. It also did 30 damage to each of the opponent's Benched Basic Pokemon, which actually did better with those 3 Prize Pokemon around since it got those into 2-hit range for Dusty Ruckus. You could theoretically win a game in 3 turns like that, with the obvious note that you were needing to swarm Stage 2's and get Energy onto them all against some strong and often fast Basic Pokemon. Not an easy task, even if the attack itself did the job.

Lay the Smackdown GX was there when you really needed more power to get a KO. The same 2 Darkness and a Colorless Energy and the use of the GX attack for the game did 220 damage that ignored all effects on the opponent's Active Pokemon. This would take down a decent amount of things on its own, and the rest just needed some prior damage which Dusty Ruckus was pretty good at. If needing the last chunk of Prizes, this could be here.

Tyranitar-GX would have been really good if it was easier to get Energy onto it. It sadly wasn't on the best type to pull off these sorts of tricks, likely needing both Weavile-GX and Naganadel to have a chance. While the deck was functional, that combo tended to have more like with the likes of Mega Sableye & Tyranitar-GX or Umbreon & Darkrai-GX just because those had to set up a bit less. While a set up Tyranitar-GX deck was indeed scary, it was pretty inconsistent and saw little serious play.

[something-happens-sometimes]

little guy I made: oneive

you ever what would happens if you mixed element 115 with a necrozma

obviously not but while playing the renaissance mod for bo1 I did

so I made this fool

Is he drawn well, not really but hey I like him either way

I also gave him an ultra necrozma form

I tried to mix different element 115 color's, essentially just different shades of blue and the weaponized 115 came from bo2 green color, with ultra necrozma's regular colors

tell me if it’s bad I can handle

but also please tell me how to improve

[explainslowly]

Pokemon autism fully online.

I got the go fest ticket which was 15 bucks - I don't usually pay for f2p games but, well. See my post about how my fun budget is mysteriously untouched at the end of every month so I decided to go be silly with it. The ticket increased your shiny chance which honestly seems like kind of a devious thing to monetize but I did have fun with it....

Really raked in some shiny monsters, what can I say... I'm especially happy about the regional shinies like Corzola bc those are a pain to get.

Other highlights include - my first shiny charmander!! The swan (really wanted that one), the white dinosaur looks really good I think and two necrozmas!! I will fuse one bc it has decent stats and because the shiny fusions look really cool...

I also ate out on both days - finally had an opportunity to try Popeyes. I liked it, pretty nice fast food place, would go again.

Today went hardcore Czech style: chlebíček + eggnog ice cream sundae

Unhinged combination but experience shows me blood sugar vise I handle high carbs fine if I am physically active afterwards, especially in the middle of the day.

[theinfiknight]

Having finished Pokemon Sword and Shield, here are my thoughts on the game, both the things I really liked and the things I didn't. I've written this down more to externalise how I feel about it rather than to have it read by others but if you Do want to read them then feel free

On the one hand I absolutely adore sword and shield for giving us treasures like Leon, Peony, Mustard, Calyrex, Opal, etc and really fun characters like Klara, Raihan, Hop, etc, to say nothing of the Walmart brand Kanto legends and the new Regis, all of which were very fun. It gave us some of the best music out of any pokemon game, absolutely knocking it out of the park with stuff like Leon's battle theme being built around the hall of fame motif and the bagpipes in the north wild area theme and everything about Calyrex and Spec/Glastrier's battle osts, and some of the best cities out of any Pokemon game before or hence, with really good accompanying music to boot. Motostoke, Hammerlocke, Ballonlea, Wyndon, all have so much personality and novelty value and they really stick in the head unlike say Coumarine City or Heahea or Verdanturf or Medali. The gym challenge in general was also one of the most fun out of any of the games, with the Champion battle being by far the most hyped of any game. The visuals were really good in terms of the art style for both the characters and the environments. The buildup to battling Leon and the payoff was both very well done and incredibly satisfying. That feeling when you're finally facing him and he throws off his cape while the crowd yells "Leon! Leon!" in time with the music.. chills. While the Isle of Armour was underwhelming in terms of exploration, the Crown Tundra decidedly was not so and there was a real organic feeling of discovery as you moved through the map. Kubfu's training, trials and the final 1v1 with Mustard with the bombastic music and the reveal that he's an ex-Champ was incredibly hype. And absolutely everything about Zacian and Zamazenta, from their buildup to the payoff to incorporating their howls into the music of their battles was great. Hop's story and character arc was well done, even if the resolution kind of happened offscreen and we just saw him after he had gotten over his self doubt rather than see him get over it in real time, although his second character arc of figuring out what new dream to work towards was much better executed. It's really really cool that random strangers will recognise you after you become Champion, and the Battle Tower is really fun, especially now that there are checkpoints and you get to keep your progress even if you lose. Battling Leon's genetically perfect Charizard in the battle tower is my favourite thing to do in the game. Also Leon just looks really good in that fancy red ballroom outfit.

But then it does shit so stupendously bad that I don't know what to think. Eternatus was introduced and killed off in the same twenty minutes, making it utterly forgettable and out of absolutely nowhere, unlike Ultra Necrozma or Xerneas/Yveltal or Arceus, who all had been built up from the beginning and had PRESENCE. I'll not deny that the Eternamax battle and Zacian and Zamazenta saving the day was hype as hell, but it seemed like legends that were built up throughout the story were culminated to deal with a threat that only came into existence five minutes ago rather than 3000 years ago. And it had no consequences on Galar or real stakes whatsoever. Like, the earlier games saw the Geosenge monument destroyed or Lake Verity blown up or Opelucid City frozen or in the worst case, eternal rain/sun over southern Hoenn and the world going dark over Alola. Like, the threat felt Real. Cyrus was going to change the laws of physics. And here we were in Hammerlocke with Eternatus hovering over the stadium and npcs still casually discussing clothes outside of it. Eternatus felt like an upstart side threat rather than the main big bad. Hell, fucking Sordward and Shielbert did more damage than Rose and Eternatus.

Chairman Rose seemingly had no motivation or plan and gave absolutely no explanation for his actions except the vaguest of reasons. We know absolutely nothing about his motives save that he wants to be remembered, he's just the merest 2D outline of a character. At least Ghetsis built up Pokemon exploitation as an issue from literally the first city, and his charcter as a megalomaniac later on was very well showcased. Guzma and Lusamine and even Lysandre had fleshed out personalities and reasonings. Rose's supposed energy crisis comes out of nowhere and seems based on nothing, and the protag and Hop "storm" rose tower for no reason at all, in a very sad imitation of storming the team Galactic HQ or the Silph co building. If they had waited another half hour there was every chance Leon would have just come back after getting impatient on his own, besides which they had absolutely no reason to expect anything insidious from Rose, who had been nothing but decent to them up until then. It really makes no sense whatsoever that someone as supposedly brilliant as Rose couldn't wait a single day to enact his plan to bring about the Darkest Day. Leon was even entirely on board. Hell, if he had just planned it with the authorities first and evacuated Hammerlocke and prepared a task force led by Leon to capture and contain Eternatus, there's every chance he WOULD have been successful and hailed as the provider of infinite energy. If Sonia had been notified about an official plan endorsed by the Champion to recreate the Darkest Day for sustainable energy purposes, there's every possibility she'd have asked you and Hop to retrieve the Sword and Shield as a contingency. There was literally no reason for Rose to fuck it up as badly as he did.

And the sheer wasted potential of Bede and Marnie! Marnie was such a fun character but for some reason they didn't even give her any sort of character arc??? Like, her story from the beginning is that she's literally just a gym Challenger like you and this never changes. Sure there's something about putting Spikemuth on the map but that remains vague and she never undergoes any sort of character growth or faces any significant hurdle throughout the story. Piers just kind of... exists. He's emo and goth and that's all we get to know about him. What drives him? Why is he so opposed to dynamaxing? What are his dreams?? Nope, nada. And I'm not going to mention That scene. You know the one. Team Yell seems utterly flat, pointless and out of place, with no real reason whatsoever for being troublemakers. At least Team Skull was consistent in their shenanigans and Team Star had a solid ideology but Team Yell only seems to exist because the story demands it. It has no organic place within the game. I really liked Marnie but oh how I wish the player's relationship with the character progressed past anything more than "an acquaintance I made on the gym challenge", like it did for Gladion and Hau and Cheren and Bianca and basically every other rival save the bland Kalosian ones. And even the Kalosian ones faced down a God of life/death with you! Marnie just kind of.. exists in the background.

And while I love the concept of Bede's character, you barely get to know him at all and hear his story from others rather than see it play out for yourself. For a boy with seemingly something to prove, he seems weirdly overconfident and uncaring of how much he loses. What is that superiority complex even based on?? He's not like Blue, who was a prodigy, or Silver, who was antagonistic from the start due to being a societal outcast, or Geeta or Leon, who are literally nigh unbeatable, or Volkner or Giovanni, who have good reason to believe they can beat you. He's just super cocky for no reason?? And losing never seems to have any effect on him despite his entire self worth apparently being based on being a skilled trainer for Rose. The whole "rival with something to prove" thing was done infinitely better with Kieran, Gladion, Cheren and even Wally to an extent. Bede just feels like an arse for no reason and when Rose drops him he flits over to Opal with no anguish or conflict at the prospect of abandoning his benefactor whatsoever?? And he comes to terms with his situation offscreen and you never actually get to witness his charcter growth? You would think that losing the very person you've been living for all your life would be at least somewhat traumatic but Bede gets over it almost without even a single breakdown. One would expect a reaction more along the lines of Kieran losing Ogerpon or Volo losing the battle he had spent so long building towards. Another terribly wasted character like Marnie.

And coming to Max Raid battles, the single player experience entirely boils down to "Can I keep these idiots alive long enough for the raid boss to get through both its shields". It's incredible how much you're at the mercy of absolutely incompetent teammates. I mean, who the hell brings a togepi into a raid battle against a colossal Aggron? Why would you even bring that in there? It's so much fun(/s) when you're facing a giant seismitoad with three rock/fire type teammates and they all die in one turn because it used surf. The entire battle turns into just spamming wide guard and life dew just for a shot at reaching the point where you can actually attack the fucking boss. It's impossible to do any sort of meaningful set up, and your teammates setting up wastes a crucial turn when they die in one hit anyways. In contrast, Dynamax adventures and Tera raid battles are infinitely more tolerable because you either have the freedom to set up as you like and are unshackled from your teammates deaths, or else there's no barrier so you can actually focus on killing it before it kills you. It's always been this way but it's so infuriating how gamefreak just does not care very much about the single player experience.

I guess that sums up most of my issues with the game except for minor nitpicks. They keep showing you cool stuff in game and then don't allow you to interact with it. I'm incredibly annoyed that you can't ride the Wyndon Eye. They literally have the giant Ferris wheel right there but you can't ride it. You can't actually order anything to eat at the cafes/food stalls. I know food powers weren't a thing yet but they could've at least made it like the battle court in Hoenn or the Kalos restaurants or the Malasada shops. At least give me in game food to eat. You can't actually stay in the Rose of the Rondelands, unlike the posh hotel in Kalos. You can look at the Hero's bath in Circhester but you can't actually use it, unlike the Lavaridge springs. The flying taxis and the trains have no cutscenes when you use them, which is a stupid little QOL omission, and an additional shame when you remember they DO already have an entire train environment coded in for those two cutscenes you get with Hop.

Overall I had a lot of fun but the story could have very easily been a lot better thought out and it sucks to see all that wasted narrative potential when you play through it. Also holy shit let me wear the champion colours in the Wyndon tournament once I'm champion. It makes no sense that I still gotta wear the white rookie Challenger outfit.

[cyberdragoninfinity]

What do you think about the mainline Pokemon games (RBY, GSC, etc.)?

LIKE...... IN GENERAL, OR..?????

ok well. let's see. there's ones I like and ones I don't, naturally. I said this in another ask but imo Pokemon design gets cooler and stronger with each passing generation, even if the games themselves weren't that good. LOVE Galar's designs for the most part, but good god Sword and Shield were not. good games. >__>

I'm eternally partial to RSE (Ruby was my first pkmn game, Hoenn's still one of my favorite regions, the Gen 3 era soundtrack is so nostalgic to me.) Gen 4 was a monumental generation for so many reasons, Platinum is a just a goddamn good game, and BDSP is a fucking embarassment lol. I love Gen 5's games, I've been wanting to replay Black sometime, I miss her. White 2 I think my be my favorite mainline Pokemon game of all time (though I have to be real, Violet is up there now too--warts (and bugs) and all, Scarvio was the most fun I've had in a mainline pokemon game in YEARS, and the story knocked my ass clean into the street. I just like it! I love Paldea!!)

I love Alola's Dex, I love so much of Sun and Moon's story and characters, and I fucking wish they were better games, I wish USUM wasn't a letdown (as much as Necrozma's everything makes me insane.) I didn't grow up with RBY or GSC so I don't really have any nostalgic attachment to them at all lol--in RBY's case I played the virtual console DS version and kind of. did not enjoy myself at all HHSGGDFG i would be perfectly content never going to Kanto in a pokemon game ever again.

Legends Arceus also kicked ass and I genuinely hope they do more games like that in the future. If they do Legends Unova I'll go absolutely ape, slash pos. (or whatever it is it seems like they're lurking towards with whatever the next 'big' game is, Unova wise--I genuinely dont think it's BW remakes (which also I don't think they should even make in the first place; the games look FINE, just PORT THEM FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.))

Scarlet and Violet's soundtrack goes so fucking hard.

And. um. X and Y's graphics aged like murky dogshit 🥴

[the-spam-specialist]

Zander gave Notch a smile, a smile that Notch would probably be familiar with by now. "Alright cool! Vickie charged me with their wellbeing while they're at work doing work things with family. Oh, and please try to keep it a secret from Harper. They'll freak out if they found out. But you dinnae worry lad! She's really friendly!" and on that note, Zander hobbled off. Minding his bad but recovering leg. He stopped in a relatively open area of the garden and whistled as he fished about for a bag of treats.

A strange yet excited sound echoed. Then suddenly something shot through the sky and made straight for Zander! It threw its large arms around him... and proceeded to hug him.

"Aaayee!! .... hi lass! Got some treats for ya and a new friend for you tae meet! Notch, meet Astral, Vickie's Necrozma".

Skylertheminish (this was somewhat inspired by me just getting usun today in an auction).

Harper walked outside, looking around for Notch. It was lunchtime and he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe Zander knew where he was?

They heard a commotion nearby. That sounded like Zander's voice. And...did something just shoot from the sky?! Concerned, Harper ran over to where Zander was, spotting Notch with him. And...and...

And a Necrozma.

That was a light-stealing, world-dooming Necrozma from the Alola legends.

Well...only one thing to do now...

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF ARCEUS ARE YOU DOING?!"

[themattress]

So, it's been documented before that following the simplistic criminal villains of Satoshi Tajiri's games (Team Rocket), we had the self-righteous visionary villains seeking to create a new world through destructive means of Junichi Masuda's games (Team Aqua / Team Magma, Team Galactic, Team Plasma and Team Flare), and now we have the underprivileged young villains who are actually decoys to the real villains who hold institutional power of Shigeru Ohmori's games (the Draconid Tribe and the Devon Corporation, Team Skull and the Aether Foundation, Team Yell and Macro Cosmos, Team Star and Professor Sada / Professor Turo).

I'm not at all against the Ohmori model of villainy; lord knows it was high past time to move on from the whole "use the box art Legendary to create a new world!" formula. However, I've recently realized a major negative consequence of it the franchise has suffered, which is that adaptations and spin-offs have much less to work with compared to the villains that came before. For the anime, Pokémon Adventures manga, and Pokémon Masters EX game, there is something....off about how every villain following Lysandre and Team Flare get utilized.

Anime: Prior villainous teams and their leaders were utilized in the service of wrapping up long-running story arcs across each series. But in the Sun & Moon series, Faba of the Aether Foundation is only used as the villain for one short-lived consecutive story arc and from there on out is a mainstay good guy...as is Lusamine, who is never truly villainous at all here. Gladion's ties to Team Skull are removed, and Guzma only shows up in the series' final year to be the antagonist of the Alola League arc. His role is not pay-off to anything, as Team Skull were just occasional villains-of-the-week who had no ongoing arc, nor did they ever really hint at having a boss before Guzma showed up. Then in the following Journeys series, Chairman Rose, Oleana and the Macro Cosmos organization is, yet again, just villains for a short-lived consecutive arc, while Team Yell only features in one episode where they don't even bother pretending to be villains. And for all of these villains, the societal issues that they're supposed to represent go completely undiscussed and unexplored, as if they were just too hot for tots.

Manga: Lysandre of Team Flare was the last major villain in Pokémon Adventures to be, irrefutably and unquestionably, THE Big Bad. Yes, Malva stood at his side, but it was clearly his mad vision of a "cleansed" Kalos region that posed the chief threat of the story arc. Following this was the Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire arc, where it's hard to say who the "Big Bad" is since the chief threat is the Meteor Delta which ultimately every "villainous" character unites to help stop from destroying the planet. And the Sun/Moon and Sword/Shield arc follow the exact same template: no single "Big Bad", just an assortment of intertwined human characters (Guzma, Lusamine and Faba in the former; Bede, Chairman Rose and Oleana, Sordward and Shielbert, and Soudo in the latter) who invertedly cause a powerful and vicious creature (Necrozma in the former; Eternatus in the latter) to break loose of its confines and threaten to destroy the region. And the most straight-up evil of these characters in both arcs (Faba in the former, Sordward and Shielbert in the latter) are played semi-comedically.

Masters EX: Zinnia? Never a villain in this game. Guzma? Ditto. Plumeria? Ditto. Lusamine? Ditto. Faba? Ditto, despite a red herring making it look like he's going to be. Chairman Rose and Oleana? Ditto....OK, Rose does lean toward villainy (albeit the well-intentioned variety) in the first half of his debut, but the second half neuters it immediately with a fair tournament used as the resolution to the conflict he started, and he very easily changes his ways at the end of it. Very different from how Giovanni, Archie, Maxie, Cyrus, Ghetsis, Lysandre and all affiliated characters sans Colress got utilized when they were brought into the game (it's never even stopped with Giovanni and Ghetsis, while Cyrus and Lysandre walk the line).

Now, things aren't all bad. Volo in Legends: Arceus is a throwback to the old "destroy the world and make a new one" type of villain done in a fresh and interesting way, the Explorers in the Horizons anime series are an all-new evil team that is shaping up to be the most interesting the anime side of the franchise has ever had, and just from the design alone Briar from Scarlet/Violet's DLC expansion shows promise. Still, it honestly feels like the mainline game series straying away from traditional villainy has compromised what kind of villainy can be done in the other parts of the franchise, and for me that's been kind of a disappointment.

[instaquarius]

For the Full Res since I know it's like REALLY hard to read (tbh even on dA you might have to just zoom in like 500% and also on dA hit full screen and you should be able to read it. It's mostly including pokedex entries or stuff I found on bulbapedia to further support why I pokemon where they are in the timeline/family tree and stuff

PTA (PokeTale: Ascendance) Legendary and Mythical Pokemon timeline or Family Tree (specifically for my Undertale/Pokemon AU), including Headcanons and so on.

About the lines and stuff and connections:

Black lines are Creation Lines.

Aka for Pokemon directly and intentionally created by another Legendary like Arceus Example: Personally, i like to think that Arceus came first as well and created some of the "bigger" Pokemon Gods *like the Creation Trio and Lake Trio* and then Mew was the last one after the Earth was made/Universe and all that stuff. Though I also personally headcanon that Arceus also created more Pokemon than just the 7.

Like The Original Dragon (or Reshi, Zek, and Kyurem since they're the OG dragon that got split in half) as well as the Life and Death duo ((simply just because... ya know. The literal GODS of Life/Death/Truth/Idealism etc., kinda just sounds like they would be right up there in terms of power scaling with the literal Gods of Space, Time, and Antimatter/Gravity *for the Life Deer and Death bird* and Truth/Idealism, etc. kinda sounds like the Lake Trio territory *Being they're the literal gods of Knowledge, Determination/Willpower, and Emotion* and humans just haven't figured it out yet when writing the Pokedex entries))

(Plus, as much research as I did on Xerneas, Yveltal, and the Tao Trio, nothing I looked up reaaaaaaaally didn't give me an answer on where the hell they came from, unlike most other legendaries soooo ye. Going with my headcanon instead for my AU)

Note: All Legendaries besides the Creation Trio, Lake Trio, Tao, and X/Y duo are more or less all created by the Mew species before they all eventually basically went extinct except for one. Same thing for the humans as well. I believe all humans and Pokemon were mews back in the day, like 10 billion years or so ago, then eventually, through convergent evolution or whatever, they all became what the Pokemon world is today. (And yes. In PTA, Mew was created by Arceus. Arceus was the original/first Pokemon to be made)

The red lines are Related links. Pokemon like the Legendary Dogs was created by Ho-oh when he revived the Pokemon that died from the Burnt Tower. Or Legendary Birds being governed over by Lugia as implied by the Pokemon 2000 movie etc.

Purple lines are the avatar lines. Covering Pokemon that are more or less on Arceus level or even being straight-up stronger than Arceus, like Ultra Necrozma (Ultra Necrozma has a base stat total of 754 which is a fair amount higher than Arceus's previous record of 720.) Also, same reason why I added Eternatus to this (besides also the fact Eternatus straight up looks like a MASSIVE hand in his Gigantimax form, which makes me think Eternatus could have been a part of Arceus at one point but then accidentally fell off or something while Arceus was making all these pokemon/the universe and shit) and even the third legendary from Scarlet and Violet that's been hella implied throughout the whole game. At least just guessing by the whole mystery surrounding it-

Blue lines are artificial lines. Aka, artificial Pokemon made by humans like Mewtwo, Type: Null etc. It's basically self-explanatory.

Pink lines are monitor lines Example: We know from the pokedex Heatran was created from a volcano/lava pool (which was created by Groudon waaaaaaaay back in the early stages of the Earth being made/Groudon creating the continents etc.) Ho-oh is added cuz of his connection to a phoenix and phoenix's are created from ash etc. Ash comes from volcanoes sooo that's why I added him as part of the Groudon fam/part of his sort of "Court" in a sense as a lesser God that sorta serves Groudon etc. and miiiiiight be implied o be the God of Resurrection? or Lugia being Guardian of the Oceans to help Kyogre who's King of the Ocean/God of it etc.

And finally, the yellow line is the Adaption line. Example: Like how the Koraidons had to adapt to the future changing and learn to use his freaking wheels built into his body to become cyclizar then even more modified into miraidon- (maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe same can work the Tao trio?) them adapting to being split into 2 or 3 technically-

-------------

And before anyone says shit like "Uwu this pokemon shouldnt be connected to this because in canon it doesn't say so" I didnt want to just have every single legendary connected to Mew even if in my headcanon i said that Mew HELPED in creating all these legendaries.

Like for example I think a Pokemon like Celebi was "made" by Dialga cuz it has time powers so I kinda feel like Mew made Celebi but Dialga also helped maybe giving Celebi some of its powers so it can time travel and so on.

But also, other legendaries are like- kinda implied to have a connection to this legendary (Like Melloetta singing to make people happy sounds like something that's in Mesprits kingdom or whatever or something she'd rule over, so that's why I had Melloetta as TECHNICALLY being Mesprits kid) and so on.

And it doesn't help either 50% of the time past maybe the 5th gen its like nintendo stopped caring giving all these legendaries cool backstories and stuff or they just KINDA exist to like- giving a prince a ride (looking at the 2 horses from Galar) or Victini being the "Victory" God etc.

--------------------------------------

Oh yeah, also in case anyone wondering why the Hell Zero is also here/eventually becomes Chara's adopted Sibling is because at some point after the Giratina movie, and he leaves Jail he ends up in Paldea and basically eventually meets Iono and ends up on her streams and stuff and they kinda end up dating in PTA (since both like electric-type Pokemon and have Magnetons and shit) 

Chara eventually runs into him again and they talk out about what happened and what Zero almost did to the Giratinas and smoltina and after realizing he changed and such she began to trust him and eventually he ends up as a part of the Arceus family as her brother

Also I crackship Iono and Zero. Cuz I think it'd be a cute ship 

----------------------------------------------

For PokeTale: Ascendance

An AU based off of an RP between me and a friend of mine from my Discord server discord.gg/pQf9ZsdF6E where the Creation Trio as babies (a time they all cant really fully control their powers and junk) accidentally create a portal into the Undertale Universe and meet Chara and basically Arceus finds Chara and adopts her after finding out about her shitty human parents and Chara ends up helping Arceus raise the babies and basically lives in the Pokemon Universe now

[airlock]

female character ask game: 1, 5, 6, 7!

(pertinent to this ask meme)

while I did just answer a 6 and a 7, there's always more female characters to talk about, I suppose! ... ever so unfortunately when it comes to 6!

#1 - One of your favourite female characters?

look at she on my pfp! (for the uninitiated, that's Delthea from Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia)

she's the cutest thing, and the funniest, and the most powerful, and but so many superlatives

#5 - A female villain you love?

there's usually not much good to be said about Mortal Kombat when it comes to female characters, or Mortal Kombat 11 in general, but one of the high points of that game was Kronika. as powerful and vicious and cool as any of 'em, while also sporting a strong, defined personality that also distinguishes her from the series's standard-faire conquerors and traitors -- no notes, really. ... well, besides that she's a symptom of the greater problem that it was dumb as hell to start doing Timeline Fuckery again just three titles into the new timeline

#6 - A female character who got done dirty by the narrative?

it's still wild to me how little it took for Lusamine from Pokémon Ultra Sun/Ultra Moon to be transformed, from her original incarnation as a thorougly compelling villain, into the most incomprehensibly incoherent mess of a story that gets Ganon Hijacked by... necrozma?

like hell, they kept in the shocking reveal that she has a basement full of cryopreserved critters AND they made that location the part where the original dialogue abruptly branches away into being about "no mother stop sacrificing yourself to fight space beafts we all love you here". whose bright idea was that??

#7 - A female character the narrative wound up being much better to than you’d thought it would be?

low bar it is, but it still heartens me how Kaguya-Sama: Love is War in general manages to discuss sexuality a whole lot while seldom veering into schoolgirl fanservice territory. and this, considering it's seinen, too! everyone else's excuses run thinner yet by the day.

[pokemon-card-of-the-day]

Pokemon Card of the Day #2902: Steelix (Celestial Storm)

The Steelix in Celestial Storm was another one of those cards in the set that were based on an important card from a much earlier time. This one was functionally just Neo Genesis Steelix with upgraded stats, but in a less supportive environment. One thing that did scale nicely was that HP, which was at a pretty absurd number for a Pokemon that gave up a single Prize. Enough healing and disruption could make that HP alone form the basis of at least a marginally useful deck, if one that was prone to another Pokemon coming in and doing its job better at any time.

190 HP was one of those numbers you saw in the HP stat and might have had trouble believing. Yes, that really was how much Steelix had, and it was a very bulky amount for a Stage 1 that was giving up a single Prize. Only the most absurd attacks were getting through that, which typically meant Rayquaza-GX that was set up well or a particularly hard hit from a Marshadow-GX taking the attack from a Necrozma-GX or something. The Psychic-types themselves tended to fall just short due to a Psychic Resistance that actually made a difference, as 3 discarded Psychic Energy from Necrozma-GX didn't hit that magic 190 anymore due to it. It could provide some buffer against Garbodor. The Fire Weakness wasn't too bad in the early SUM-On format where Steelix saw almost all of its play. While the HP and Fire Weakness were clearly a bigger problem once the Tag Teams came out and Blacephalon decks got all their support, Steelix was much less relevant by then due to competition anyway.

Tackle did just 30 damage for 2 Colorless Energy, which was not enough to be worthwhile.

Tail Crush started at 80, which was still low for a Metal and 2 Colorless Energy, but there was a coin flip. A heads flip added 40 more, and 120 was quite reasonable. It was a bit of luck here to be sure, and Steelix often wasn't even going to try to attack, just stall.

Steelix was the focus of the deck type that was simply a bulky Pokemon taking hits from normal Pokemon while Hoopa could handle Pokemon-EX and Pokemon-GX. It wasn't the greatest thing and could be a bit vulnerable in the early Onix stage, and that's why Regigigas, as a Basic Pokemon with just 10 lower HP, ended up taking its place rather quickly. Steelix was still rather good in the role even if it fell far short of the effectiveness of the original Neo Genesis version.

[a-tale-of-legends]

The Legendary Hunters thoughts:

The organization started off very small. A group of concerned parents who were noticing the patterns of history with children going up against villains and legendaries. Among these parents were Boss( I forgot her name is let's call her this for now), the leader of TLH. She has a daughter who we'll call "Sugar" for now.

At some point, the TLH ( who probably wasn't even called that before) got the funding to actually look out for potential threats. At some point within that time, they group became aware of Chosens and their anger grew.

As for who funded them, I'm thinking either the International Police or Lear's father. Though, I think Lear's fast would come after the group grows in size and become more powerful.

Speaking of power, things really kick off when they get into contact with Necrozma. Using it's powers of fusion as well as creating some mind control technology, their group had a way to forcibly control both humans and pokemon. However they don't use it often, still wanting to keep appearances. Their goal was to get as many followers as they can. And they did! People who genuinely wanted to keep an eye on legendaries and use their power for good.

I'm realizing this seems to counter what I said before so here's a better way of putting it: The Legendary Hunters want to control how Chosens work- as in not at all, or given to adults. All they wanted, initially , was to keep children "safe" from the "preying" legendaries. However, as the group grew in numbers, it brought people who simply wanted power. It didn't help that the leaders were slowly getting enticed by power too.

As for their relation to the current Chosens: well first they have to find them, but given how history works, they have a pretty good idea to who they are. They want them to join TLH. Either willingly, or by force( via Necrozma and the special devices they have ) That way they have more control and access to the legendaries themselves.

I hope all of this makes sense lol. I feel I explained this better on discord but eh. I hope this was clear :)

[sinisterlutist]

Hehe late night Demands [gun emote here] 3, 15, 16, 23, 25, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 57, 59, 61, 63, 69. Also u can't say Joltik is ur fave electric AND bug type u gotta pick it for only oNE

(✨w✨ ) ouhohohouuu,,, (also >:0 rude!!! Mah poor spood! … wait hold on that works out well for one of my other faves…)

…. You (accidentally-ish) picked these numbers like a teacher giving math homework.

3. Favorite dual type

Is this like, favorite type combination? Or favorite pokemon that IS a dual-type? What does this question mean? Most of my faves are dual-types. For a little whimsy I’ll answer… like this.

I think, conceptually, we need a water/ghost type that’s a terrifying deep sea legendary. For that matter, Gamefreak, give me Dive back! I want more underwater stuff!

That said, I think the most OP combination on a pokemon I’ve ever had is either Marshadow’s Ghost/Fighting or Hisuian Zoroark’s Ghost/Normal. Type immunities that are also ghost-types my beloved.

15. Favorite shiny

Favorite shiny legendary HAS to be shiny Dawn Wings Necrozma. The deep blue and soft pink go so well together, and I am fortunate to have one made out of a shiny Necrozma I got from a trade and a shiny Lunala I caught myself (named Merlot!)

Favorite regular shiny… well, I have a lot, honestly, but I’m going to go with shiny Lampent. It’s one of my most favorite shinies of one of my most favorite pokemon. I LOVE its palette, and I wish those colors had stayed into Chandelure. There’s sooo many I want to put here but I told myself this was getting restricted before it turned into the song list question. (I did these out of order.)

Special mention to Wo-Chien, for doing with its palette that Leafeon did not: FALL COLORS! I… I really need that cryptid grass snail.

16. Least favorite shiny

Alright this is one I had to check the dex for, because it’s something I tend to forget until I see it. There’s also a lot of these I’ve never really seen.

Shiny Kantonian Moltres is a really good contender, that thing looks like a plucked chicken on fire. Those are really unfortunate colors.

Mismagius is also unfortunate. Great pokemon, great normal colors, but that yellow is pretty hideous.

Swoobat, why? Scrafty… I don’t like Scrafty anyway but the shiny is worse.

OOH ALOLAN GRAVELER! That’s a moldy orange. It even has hair. And poor Pyukumuku, why green and yellow??

23. Favorite music track from a pokemon game

This is an awful, terrible question. I have SO MANY and this is likely going to be longer than it should bc I can’t discount any of them. There WILL be some I forget and it’s going to kill me later but here we go. These are in no particular order.

• Midnight Theme (Hisui)— it’s a shame the midnight theme is so short, because it genuinely makes me happy to be running around in the night, looking at the stars, watching the moon move through the sky… I know a lot of people rag on the graphics of PLA, but, I think it was really beautiful.

• Ancient Retreat— something about the ancient retreat music sounding like it’s made of clocks, as a little nook lost to time. And it’s truly so relaxing. Not just as a track, but as an experience, the first time we’re brought there, led by Volo after everything that’s happened that day… I associate this track with just… some peace. It’s relaxing to think about sitting next to the river, crafting pokeballs or carving clefairy dolls while Volo’s sleeping against his backpack and Cogita making tea… it’s the theme of a safe place. I miss that time.

• Malie City (night)— This was such a relaxing theme, and I was glad I played Moon and Ultra Moon because of the time swap, so that I got to hear this theme more often :)

• Po Town— more of an ambient track, really, with the constant rain in the background. I liked this one so much I made it the little online area’s theme in Ultra Moon.

• Unwavering Emotions— I don’t know exactly WHY, because I don’t think it ever plays when he’s onscreen, but my mind ALWAYS associated this song with N and it makes me want to scream. (Though they did use a beautiful acoustic guitar remix of it for him in PokeMas, and it just felt right.)

• Farewell— this one IS played with N, right at the very end of BW, and, similarly, makes me want to scream. I can’t go into full detail bc I’m so bad at explaining it but. hhhhhh. (I have this statement that I make of yes, we play the role of “protagonist” in BW, but I maintain that the main character of the story is really N, and we’re just seeing it from a different point of view. The credits roll when he leaves.)

• Rt 10 (Unova)— I don’t even know how to describe this one. In general the Unova soundtrack is SO GOOD, but you can really feel something here. It’s got a mellowness to it that just hits so well for being right before victory road. There is. So much here, and I don’t understand many songs with lyrics as much as I understand the route 10 music.

• Driftveil City— you know this one. you know it’s a jam.

• Team Plasma battle theme— a lot of times, the team battle themes get kinda repetitive to me, but Plasma was an utter exception. What an ABSOLUTE MONSTER of a track. I always looked forward to battling the Plasma Grunts.

• Seafolk Village (night)— another town in Alola that I liked to kind of just park the game at for a while to just enjoy the night and the music. Very relaxing.

• Undella Town (spring, autumn, winter)— this one is just so peaceful. The waves crashing worked in and everything… it feels like sunset.

• N’s Room— I love N’s theme in general, it’s so fitting for him (& despite being one of my favorites it’s close enough to this that I am TRYING to pare it down), a little mysterious and odd and wonderful— so entering his room in the Plasma castle to hear a sort of eerie broken music box version of his theme, in this room meant for a much younger person, the room where he’s been stuck, and lied to basically all his life… it gets the point across.

• Burgh’s Gym (BW2)— Burgh’s remodeled gym was SO cool and SO bug. The music that played fit the atmosphere perfectly, in an eerily calming way. I parked BW2 here a lot.

• Obsidian Fieldlands theme 1— first of all, one of the reasons I loved this one so much was I was IMMEDIATELY reminded of Burgh’s Gym theme in the first part. I think I remember the first time this particular theme played was when I was wandering the Fieldlands after the night theme had ended, and I got to a new area on the map. Then the cello (or bass?) kicked in, and everything aligned for this brilliant sense of wonder that really got me into the world. It’s really pretty, and really relaxing.

• Volo’s battle theme— where do I even begin? I know a lot of people chalk this up as a mere Cynthia piano redux, but… I think there’s so much of Volo in this song. It’s a serious fight, but one that was so much fun— and that’s reflected in the song. After the imposing start, you hear the playful woodwinds poking in, dueling with violins, and by the time the bells hit, I was just completely enraptured by it— and the whimsy continues into an ending-theme-sounding part that… well, it doesn’t sound like a hardcore antagonist theme to me. Nor does Volo feel like a hardcore, truly evil antagonist. Most importantly, those whimsical, light-hearted, fun parts of the song are entirely his. There’s no such lightness that plays in the piano track before Cynthia’s champion battle. This is Volo’s theme, there’s much more to him, and I think this reflects that SO very well.

• Rt 15 (Kalos)— ah yes, the theme of eternal fall. This isn’t just a nice track, but it really serves well to remind me of how the route looked. It’s also very fitting for the later Mamoswine trail, as several different parts in the song sound like you’re pushing forward through the snow, or making your way through the ruins in rt 15. It’s a song that sounds like it ought to be in a high fantasy series. With adventure, there is tribulation.

• Slumbering Weald— a fitting track for the spooky woods Right Next To Your House. It’s like a light-hearted mystery- until the voices of the legendary wolves can be heard. There is something IN the woods, and it is not just a myth.

• Crown Shrine— I think, in my opinion, the best song in SwSh. It’s ancient and majestic, but supremely relaxing. You respect it, and it will take care of you.

• Coronet Highlands (Summit)— this one is leaking atmosphere EVERYWHERE. You can hear the iciness, you can tell something is different. The air has changed, and you are getting closer to something. There’s a bit of danger to it, like the song itself is a warning. The vocal parts are a nice addition too.

• Relic Castle— another one I can’t quite explain outside of the sense of wanting to keep going, looking deeper, and finding out what’s in here. Well-crafted for a castle buried in the sands.

• Mt Lanakila (League)— another beautiful mountain theme. You can hear the snow crystals falling. It’s different from the victory road theme- you’ve made it all the way here. But you’re not done yet. It’s a little beautiful, and a little imposing.

Special mention to Verdanturf Town (RSE) for being one of my original favorites back when Emerald was the only one I’d played, and Glimwood Tangle for its wonderful use of pizzicato and woodwinds to make a spooky little atmosphere :) Also to the music that plays in the cutscene right before you battle the frenzied Lord Arcanine in PLA for genuinely running a shiver down my spine. That was straight out music from a horror scene and it was AWESOME. And also to the Battle Giratina theme (Hisui) for the section of it that sounds like a heartbeat monitor slowing and flatlining. AMAZING.

25. Favorite design of a pokemon

*tap tap taptaptaps table in front of me* I actually can answer this with purely no actual in-game connection bc it’s JUST THE LOOK!

Wo-Chien! It’s a cryptid-looking grass snail! It’s got VINES and LEAVES all over it and it has been one of the things I’ve been looking for in a pokemon design for a while now! Get a little cryptid with it! Get a little spooky with it! I can’t think of any fault with the look of this funky leaf pile snail guy. And its shiny is fall colors?? Perfect.

29. Favorite normal type

Hisuian Zoroark. I was thrilled to see that one of my favorites was given a variant, and it ended up being such a strong typing combo as well! I got very attached to my boy Pollix, and he did an excellent job. Before PLA, I think Hoennian Linoone.

31. Favorite fire type

Hisuian Typhlosion. My favorite fire type starter gets a ghost-type upgrade and beautiful flames and colors? There was no question what starter I was picking in PLA. I made the right choice, as Kastor was both good company and an invaluable team member.

33. Favorite fighting type

Marshadow!! I didn’t really like any fighting types enough to have a favorite before the marshmallow lad. Nice shape, cool effects.

35. Favorite water type

Pyukumuku, founding member of the Bean Committee (Pyukumuku, Snom, & Pincurchin). That’s just a little creature. Why is he made to fight? He’s just a guy. What a shape.

(Once again though, special mention to Tatsugiri bc I haven’t played SV and thus don’t know if I can properly count them here, but I gotta get me one of those curly lads)

37. Favorite flying type

Some years ago, this would’ve been Rayquaza. And while I do still have a soft spot for the big ol snake, in recent times I’ve acquired quite an appreciation for Togekiss, the peace and love owl. Volo and his Togekiss influenced me similarly to how N and Zoroark did, and aside from what raising a Togekiss from a Togepi says about Volo, I love Togekiss’ cry and pillowy marshmallow shape. Where it appears in the Ranger game Shadows of Almia speaks a lot to it too. I would like to hug a fluffball of a bird :) (Noivern was a close contender though, I love its design and movement)

39. Favorite grass type

Had I played SV, this would almost certainly be Wo-Chien. I’m not kidding, I love that grass snail’s look. As I’m answering this differently though, this title is instead shared by Lurantis and Alolan Decidueye. Before I even played Moon, I’d drawn a little Lurantis with a necktie and called him Peppermantis. Decidueye was such a nice design, with its little archer cloak and hoodie strings, feather arrows… and the ghost typing was a lovely surprise! Twos, my boy, you are excellent.

41. Favorite poison type

I thiiiink Dragalge? I love the leafy sea dragon look to it. I do also like Nihilego, best jellyfish pokemon, and the story with it and Lusamine

Special mention to Clodsire. I would like one. Friend shaped.

43. Favorite electric type

JOLTIK!! I love a little spider. He’s so cute, and I knew the first time I saw one in Chargestone Cave in Unova I needed to have one. I loved how jittery they were in the gen 5 sprites, which will always be my favorite representation of them. If I was in-universe, I’d have one just as a little buddy that didn’t battle. My first ever Joltik (now a Galvantula) is named Jirii and remains in my copy of Ultra Moon for the time being.

45. Favorite ground type

SANDSLASH. A cute little friend, very good for digging. I had one named Rune on my first team, back in Emerald, and she went on to be in the Hall of Fame there. Excellent shape. Cute spines.

47. Favorite rock type

For a while this probably would’ve been one of the fossil pokemon, maybe archeops or omanyte, but I never really had a proper favorite rock-type until Lycanroc (specifically midday or dusk), and then PLA came out and dropped Hisuian Arcanine in my lap, so they get to share this title. (Special mention to Naclstack, because once again, while I haven’t played SV I love that little guy? The name is so fun to say and it’s a clever name, and the dude looks like a Minecraft creature and I Want One.)

49. Favorite ice type

My beloved angry snowflake Cryogonal. The first one I got in BW, Gel, caught my attention with his immaculate geometry, crystalline cry, and fancy little face chains. Gel may be grouchy, but we are friends, and Cryogonal remains my favorite icy lad despite the introduction of Snom, who is the runner-up. (Killian the Snow Frolicker, I love you.)

51. Favorite bug type

Volcarona! It’s one of my favorites, but unfortunately, as it kept being only available later on, I’ve never really had one incorporated into a team. BUT ITS A BIG FLUFFY CECROPIA-LOOKIN MOTH AND I LOVE IT

53. Favorite dragon type

Gonna go with my old standby, the original cute little snek, Dratini! It’s just so cute and Shaped and I love it. Best quality: his wiggles.

57. Favorite dark type

Zoroark. I like it in its own right as well, of course, cause it’s ability is really neat and the design is one of the BEST and it’s so FLUFFY, but my first real encounter with Zoroark was as N’s “last friend.” Receiving his Zorua in BW2… I took it on my team, and I still have it. That was my first Zoroark, and I’ve loved the species ever since.

59. Favorite psychic type

In the interest of trying to not repeat species, I’m going to put Sigilyph here instead of Dawn Wings Necrozma. What is a Sigilyph, you ask? I don’t rightly know. But it sure is a Creature and it has a very nice ability, and to the lovely Garia in my BW game I gave a Rocky Helmet, and she did me many favors in battle. As a rule, if you give me a Funky Little Thing, I will almost certainly love them, Sigilyph being no exception. Reuniclus is the runner-up, nice cell friend.

61. Favorite steel type

Alolan Sandslash and Corviknight! You’ve seen my thing about Sandslash, a lovely shimmery spiky friend. Corviknight, though- I love me a corvid and this great big bird was lovely to have in SwSh. I named mine Somnus, and with his ribbon he is Somnus the Great Friend. :)

63. Favorite fairy type

Mimikyu!! As previously mentioned, what’s better than a funky little guy that you might die from viewing directly that wants love? Also I have a plushie Mimikyu in a scarecrow costume I got a few years ago and I love my terrible son. His name is Kyuvi.

69. Favorite pokemon card

I’ve never really been into the TCG? I’ve played a little bit of the virtual one, but that was because the pokemon newsletters kept handing out codes for it and I went “well why not” and gathered a few of them from those packs. I also have never seen most of the cards. The thing is, though, that I’d be lying if I said I didn’t try to get packs a little harder after they revealed this Volo card. (Image from tumblr user jadeazora)

I love the way it looks like there’s sunbeams falling onto him. Very pretty card, lovely art, and perhaps one day I will have one of my own that’s not virtual.

—————

*sigh* WHOOF. okay that one took a long time, but it is done!! I have a great many feelings about game osts,,, but thanks for that question, honestly.

Sorry I answered so many of these with multiples but I mean there’s over 1000 pokemon, I can’t just pick one.

「x」

[legendaryprofessorwisteria]

In terms of the theories you’ve brought up, that does make sense. After all, even accounting for the lack of a known different on time between their original time and ours, they are similar enough that perhaps that convergent evolution in similar but harsher versions of our world would occur. As for being prepared for what happened…given the kinds of residents who end up arriving, the folks here and I are very familiar with dealing with Pokémon who are scared and injured, especially if they end up being permanent residents and don’t end up taken in by a family who comes by. I’m actually thankful Hogan, Electro, and now Emir have adapted as well as they have to their new home for that reason.

I imagine with Lilith, the mess afterwards wasn’t as sticky, given the juice that Hogan had drank was from Sitrus berries, and the barrels were pierced as a result of that. We had to clean the shed before it could be repaired as well as both Hogan and Julien after the sudden bout of wrestling, and though Julien is very used to baths even with the fact he’s a fire-type, Hogan was clearly unsure of the soap we used out of unfamiliarity. Least they calmed down when he was given one of the rubber duckletts we keep for stressed out residents taking baths to use like a stress ball. They proceeded to claim that specific one as their personal rubber ducklett, amusingly enough, and always has it in hand when washing up.

As for Electro and Emir, besides both of them also being buddies with Auther and Volt thanks to the former’s physical therapy with them and also introducing the latter to them, while each of them were in recovery, they were as shy as you’d expect, especially considering that I’ve heard that Xurkitree tend to be very energetic and Koraidon are often not unlike young Rockruff in behavior, a trait I’ve noticed is shared with many Miraidon as well. Electro started opening up at Volt’s insistence, the Dracozolt in question basically beckoning their friend to play in the snow with some other buddies who live here, which somehow did wonders for helping Electro open up. I have a feeling this led to Electro wanting to befriend Emir, perhaps able to figure out the similar situation and wanting to be to Emir what Volt was to them. I’d say it worked well, given how before that point, Emir only really seemed to trust Cantante, likely due to her being the one to find them and let us know so we could free Emir and treat their injures, myself, presumably since I am Cantante’s trainer, and a few others, my colleagues who focus more on the medical side of our establishment.

I think it's at least an interesting framework for understanding why these Pokemon are the way they are, both with Ultra Beasts and Paradox Pokemon. While we can directly observe where Ultra Beasts come from with the help of Pokemon like Solgaleo, Lunala, and Necrozma, we can't do the same with Paradox Pokemon at this time - but we can still make a lot of inferences about what their homes are like just by their physiology and their links to present Pokemon. Gonna ramble more under a cut so I don't blow out anyone's dash.

For instance, my Iron Moth, Lilith, mostly survives off of sunlight, has powerful attacks, and has a tough exterior. This suggests it lives in a sunlight-rich environment, mostly ruling out the 'eternal clouds' theory someone was floating about the Paradoxes' future, and probably had serious predators or competed heavily with other Pokemon, which also explains the aggression. With Great Tusk, the past Paradox Pokemon we know the most about, we can guess similar things - it's an herbivore, but also a powerful attacker with a lot of aggression, meaning it probably faces a lot of danger in nature.

And yeah...the transit in time or space alone can be very frightening for Pokemon like that, and all that natural aggression doesn't make the landing any easier. It's very lucky that there are people and organizations like you and like my lab to intervene and prevent these Pokemon - and others - from coming to harm. It sounds like Hogan, Emir, and Electro got lucky with where they landed, and I really hope the same is true of Lilith.

And heh, thankfully Lillith's mess wasn't nearly as...sticky. It just flung papers everywhere and knocked over a few things, and got some Sludge Bomb splat on a wall. Not too hard to clean. It's interesting how Hogan took on those barrels, given how Buzzwole eat in the wild. And cleaning a Buzzwole must have been a funny experience! I always find it sweet how Pokemon like Ultra Beasts, Paradox Pokemon, and Legendaries or Mythicals in general are sometimes just the same as other Pokemon, doing things like picking favorite toys or comfort objects.

It's also wonderful how Pokemon care for and help each other! Seems like Volt did a lot to help Electro, and Electro did a lot to help Emir. Electro even paid forward how Volt was kind to it, which is so sweet...so many Pokemon are just wonderful to each other. I genuinely don't know what we'd do without Pokemon like that.

Also, I'd object to the comparison of Miraidon and Rockruff, but one of my colleagues is outside throwing a ball for the visiting 'Raidons and they're chasing after it like, well, little Rockruff. Lilith is staring intently. Arceus above, once things calm down I am going to try and catch one.